Daily Republican., 1887-10-13
TIE FIKsr GLASS,
Startling Statistics showing How wo-
man Wero Led Into Drunk snusss.

oos 5uoWhnB now Wo-
msn Wsre Led Into Drunksnpess.
L.. M. Hall, superintendent of the
Womans Rsformatory Prison, sher-
born. Mass, says:
Out OF the examination of 204 inc.
briate women, have found that 1898
began their drinking by the use of
beer, 81 by drinking whiskey, as a
punch at first usually, 10 began with
wine. y with gin, and II could not re-
member what was first used. These
young girls, mill and chop girls large.
ly, began by going to some so-called
reireshment saloon with their friends.
and they usually began by slipping a
little tonic (made Of hops, sugar and
water, charged with carbolic acid gas
and colored with burnt sugar.. Beer
soon followed and soon rioting, other
kinds of intoxicants, recklessness and
crime, and what was an innocent, fool.
ish girl yesterday is to-day branded
criminal-all for glass Of beer. Alas!
how many ruined lives l have seen.
Beer was also the beverage which
older inebriate women used TO entice
the younger ones to drink. A call
upon one of these old sots was the sig.
nal for the pitcher of beer TO be sent
for, and little coaxing and urging
would result in the first fatal glass be.
ing indulged in. The steps were then
easy.
Beer is the trap which the drunkard
maker sets at the feet of the unwary.
And he easily makes sure of his prey
because OF it. A glass of raw whiskey
would have presented but slight at
traction to the over worked, half-fed
girls, had it been offered them at first.
After that sleeping devil, the appetite
for intoxicants, has been aroused by
beer, it became altogether different
matter. and at last, in many cases,
chlorotorm or peppermint oil was
added to the drink of these msddened
creatures, so furious had the appetite
become for something stronger.
II may be OF interest to note that out
OF the 20i inebriate women, 1876 had
been guilty OF other crimes, and yet in
but ID instances did the first commit
ment of a crime an.edate the habit Of
drinking,
OF the beverages first used, while in
but ~ cases II began with whisky, in
1877 it had become the favorite bever
age. Several hopeless drunkards, far
gone toward insanity, had never drunk
any other intoxicant than beer.
One hundred and thirty-two were
committed to prison for drunkenness.
sc for offences against chastity and
public order. and 16 for crimes against
properly. Their ages when last COM
mitled averaged 80 1-2 years. Sixty
| five were between 80 and Al years oi
age, 40 between 25 and 81 years OF
age, 81 between 90 and 26 years OF
age, 30 between Is and 81 years OF
/ age. The remainder were over Al
years OF age. Many of the older ones
could not tell how many sentences
they have received, showing the sbso
lutte uselessness of punishing these
poor creatures while the temptations
are left in their way.
To show the effect upon the chill
dren of inebriate parentage, collected
the following:Of1l1 inebriate mothers,
SO of whom had inebriate husbands,
40S children were born, OF these 22G
persisted in infancy and early child
hood, and of the surviving many are
doomed evidently to an early death
In many cases the death of these chill
dren was indirectly due the inebriety
lof the parents--as cold, depri
yation, etc. Ages Twenty sever
of the 204 women began to drink in
toxicants before they were 10 years o
age, Il between the ages OF 9 and Is
Ia between Il and 81, 81 between q
and &c, 80 between 25 and 81, 10 be
tween 30 and Al, 3 between 40 and 81
Average age, IS l.2 years. Morl
than one-half had formed habits of in
Temperance before they were 81 year
of age, and more than one-third a
the giddy age OF from Is to 20 inclu
sive, 1872 began to drink socially ant
with female friends